EPRI, in collaboration with Southern Firm and Storworks, has not too long ago accomplished testing of a pilot concrete thermal vitality storage (CTES) system at Alabama Energy’s Ernest C. Gaston Electrical Producing plant (Gaston) marking the most important such pilot on the earth. The know-how was developed by Storworks.
The ten-MW-hour-electric (MWhe) vitality storage answer (Determine 1) is charged utilizing warmth from supercritical steam generated by Gaston’s Unit 5. As designed, high-pressure steam from the facility plant flows by tubes, heating the concrete, which shops the thermal vitality till it’s returned to the facility plant by changing feedwater into steam to generate electrical energy in response to grid demand. The undertaking obtained funding from the U.S. Division of Vitality underneath award DE-FE0031761.
The know-how could be utilized to present or new thermal energy crops, together with coal, pure fuel, nuclear, or concentrating solar energy. The core know-how can transcend electrical energy to purposes together with decarbonizing industrial warmth.
“Developments in long-duration vitality storage are key to unlocking the total potential of variable renewable vitality assets on the trail to net-zero,” mentioned Neva Espinoza, EPRI vice chairman of Vitality Provide and Low-Carbon Assets. “As the facility sector navigates a extremely complicated transition, CTES might play an essential position in effectively delivering the dependable and reasonably priced electrical energy society is dependent upon.”
The CTES pilot system, briefly built-in into the unit at Gaston, proved the know-how’s potential to retailer thermal vitality for conversion to electrical energy when mixed with thermal energy crops. The unique objectives of the undertaking have been exceeded, as steam manufacturing at a number of stress ranges was demonstrated. Greater than 80 vitality cost and discharge cycles have been additionally efficiently carried out over 700 hours of complete operation.
“Southern Firm is deeply dedicated to advancing the transition to a net-zero future, whereas guaranteeing the supply of fresh, secure, dependable, and reasonably priced vitality,” mentioned Dr. Mark S. Berry, Southern Firm senior vice chairman of Analysis, Setting, and Sustainability. “As a frontrunner in analysis and growth, Southern Firm is exploring the potential of CTES know-how to assist decarbonize electrical energy manufacturing. We’re excited to be pioneering this groundbreaking analysis demonstration in collaboration with EPRI, Storworks, and our subsidiary, Alabama Energy.”
“We admire the imaginative and prescient and assist from our companions that made this pilot demonstration attainable,” mentioned Scott Frazer, co-founder of Storworks. “Low-cost long-duration vitality storage is more and more crucial within the shift to low-cost intermittent renewable vitality, and the Gaston undertaking represents an essential milestone in advancing the commercialization of our know-how. With industry-leading low price, Storworks’ modular system could be tailor-made to a variety of purposes for each energy crops and industrial decarbonization options.”
CTES may give grid operators larger flexibility by permitting them to retailer vitality when it’s not wanted after which present it when it’s most beneficial. EPRI will proceed to guage the feasibility of CTES and different long-duration vitality storage choices as a part of the clear vitality transition.
—POWER edited this content material, which was contributed by EPRI’s Communications division.
